The real story
Most salamanders lose their gills and move onto land as adults. The axolotl stays in its larval form for life, a trait called neoteny, but it can still breed. Its name comes from Nahuatl, the Aztec language, and is linked to the god Xolotl. Labs worldwide study it because it rebuilds limbs, spinal cord and heart tissue without scarring.
In the wild, it only survives in the canals of Xochimilco, the remains of the lake system around Mexico City. Pollution, urban growth and introduced fish like carp and tilapia have driven it to Critically Endangered status. Scientists are now working with chinampa farmers, who still use the Aztec floating-garden method, to create clean refuges filtered by plants. Mexico even put the axolotl on its 50-peso banknote.
